Since Star Trek has had so many sequels, it makes sense that a documentary about Star Trek would have one too. In Trekkies 2, host Denise Crosby shows us the show’s worldwide reach by visiting with Trek fans in Brazil, Australia, and all over Europe. We also check in on some previous fans featured in the original Trekkies like Barbara Adams, who dressed in full Starfleet uniform as the alternate juror during the Whitewater trail and Gabriel KÃ¶erner, a rather intense young man who used his skill in computer animation to model Star Trek starships. Denise and crew also check out some of the more interesting facets of Trek fandom like filk conventions and Trek themed bands. The documentary also explores the concept of “extreme” vs. “normal” fans or even if there is such a thing.

For the sake of full disclosure, I was a Star Trek fan, a Trekkie if you will. I would wince if someone called a Starfleet uniform a ‘costume’, I won three Name the Star Trek Clip contests, and I was the honor guard at a wedding where the groom was in full Imperial Klingon costume and makeup, the bride had a Bajoran earring and nose ridges, and the Maid of Honor was Chase Masterson. I have been on the front line. So most of this is old news to me. But for those unfamiliar with this subculture, the documentary shows that most fans are self-aware enough to know that their love of Trek can make them a little eccentric. They also know that this eccentricity can be misconstrued as serious mental derangement or at least a terminal case of virginity. But these are just people who are enjoying the show and the culture around it. But you can also see that there is more to this than just the fun people have discussing the various series and making yourself up as your favorite alien. You also see the community that Trek fandom offers people and how many fans try to make this world a little better through charity work and fundraising.

You also get a global perspective on Trek and how it’s influenced by where they are. For instance, Italian Trek conventions take the time to enjoy multi-course meals with plenty of wine. For the French, they gather together to watch Star Trek with homemade quiche and of course wine. For fans in Serbia, they see their first Trek convention as a small step to bringing about Roddenberry’s vision of diverse peoples putting aside their stupid bullshit and working together. Not all of the subjects covered work that well. I can see why the filmmakers would put in the segment about the Trek cover bands being visually and aurally interesting. But the documentary is suppose to be about how inclusive and persuasive Trek is and these bands are a tiny part of the subculture. There are much more appropriate areas that could have been covered.

Which leads to the special features. The deleted scenes are plentiful and quite detailed. Along with expanding on the subjects presented, there are a few that talk more about Trek fandom in general. My favorite is called Fan Pon Farr where fans talk about hooking up, getting married, and having kids. Yes, Trek fans have sex and plenty of it. My local Star Trek club took me to my first strip joint. But that’s another story… The commentary is lively and fills in a lot of the gaps about making the film as well the participants who were involved. The two fan films included are cute but you could easily get them from Youtube or the Web, so I don’t know if including them was warranted. So if Trek fandom is an undiscovered country or if you’re already familiar with the final frontier, Trekkies 2 is worth watching.